MEGAConstrux Magnext 3-in-1 Mag-Rockets

8 year old put it together easily and creatively.

bought as Christmas present for grandson both he and his Dad loved it

The market for an alternative to LEGO is expanding - from the nuts and bolts of Mechano to the clinking and clunking of the likes of K'Nex. Mega Construx have fashioned a product that is both mechanical and magnetical. This means that it is a little easier to use than some of the trickier constructions kits and fills a gap between the very young and those who want to really get into engineering toys.The '3-1 Mag-Rockets' set gives you enough pieces to make one of three creations - a couple of plane-like vehicles or a cute robot. You will have to deconstruct what you have to build another. The clever element is that the panels are magnetic, and they centre around large ball bearings. The magnets are powerful enough that you can click them into to place and they stay firm. I am not convinced they will take as much robust play as built LEGO, but they certainly look nice when built.The quality of materials used is not as high as their Scandinavian rivals, but this is made up somewhat in the cheaper cost. I think the magnetic elements means that the toy is different enough to warrant a play by most LEGO fans. The pack comes with the instructions needed to build the vehicles. Because the pack is relatively small you can wing it a little as well.

The bits are all sturdy and well made. I was expecting the ball bearings to be magnetic, but the powerful little magnets are contained within some of the larger pieces.It was a challenge to construct the spacecraft using the instruction booklet. The magnets repel sometimes as well as attract which can make it tricky, but then using the ball bearings stabilises the structure. The bearing/magnet links can be used as hinges in the projects. The finished vehicle looked a bit stubby to me, and I think I would need a child’s imagination to envisage it capable of interstellar travel.Combining with further sets would add more interesting possibilities. An older child might enjoy creating geometric solids. The fact it is also compatible with other brick brands is a bonus.I would recommend it for a child who would have more fun interacting with powerful little magnets than they would from creating aesthetically pleasing models.

This Mega Construx Magnext set seems to be a combination of two different popular building toys in one set - Geomag magnetic building and good old Lego bricks. As a fan of both systems my seven year old took to it straight away. As with Geomag you use the ball bearings (which are slightly larger than the Geomag ones) to secure the magnetic pieces together. Here though instead of the traditional Geomag rods, you have a variety of different shaped pieces. The instructions form a simple pictorial guide, not dissimilar to Lego, and there’s even a fun and educational preface about magnets to get you started. The instructions only include guidance for making the main space ship set that you can see on the front of the box. If you want to make the other two options, you’ll need to download the Mega Construx Beyonders app on an Android or Apple tablet.

This is a great gift idea for a smaller child, it is a mix of off-brand LEDO and Magnetix, which as a brand loyal user I do not like, however for the price I can definitely make an exception.It is easy to build but could be a little challenging for a younger child, but given the correct guidance it is definitely possible.It is great that it can be deconstructed and made into another two models as this effectively triples its usage. Making sure your kid is less bored of just one simple design.I would get this as something small, however if it is a main present for a birthday/christmas I would recommend going with something branded so it can be reused with other models

This is a fun set for kids to use to build vehicles. it's a lit different with the magnets. My niece took to it really quickly and enjoyed building this. You can download an app that gives you details of how to build other things, but as with most kids, mu niece was happiest just creating whatever she could think of. Great for kids who like to build with Lego, as it's similar but different!

Hours of creative play . Maybe buy a plastic tub to keep it all in . Lots of fun